Gorean Dictionary
EARTH GIRLS (noun): slave girls abducted from Earth called barbarians. They are considered among Goreans to be the lowest and hottest of slaves.
EASTERN WAY (noun): also called the Treasure Road, it links the western cities with Ar. Torcodino is on this road.
EEL (noun): a voracious animal which can maim or kill a slave in moments. Some varieties are edible and considered a gorean delicacy. Varieties include: river eel, black eel, and spotted eel.
EGG, PRIEST-KING'S (noun): the last egg of the Mother sought by Tarl Cabot as an agent of the Priest-Kings so that they might replenish their race and keep it from extinction. It was found in plain sight, a gray, squarish, grained, leathery object in the wagon of the Tuchuk Ubar San, Kamchak.
EGGS OF WHITE GRUNT (noun): described as clustered, tiny black eggs of the white grunt served in a small golden cup with a small golden spoon.
EHN (noun): the Gorean minute, of which there are 40 in an ahn (hour); it consists of 80 ihn (seconds)
ELEVEN KISSES ***(noun): a component of training for a pleasure slave.
EN (adj.): first
ENEMY (noun): stranger
ENERGY BULB (noun): light bulb
EN`KARA (noun; lit. 'first turning'): the first month of the Gorean calendar, that of the vernal equinox, which is the Gorean new year; roughly equivalent to the Earth calendar month of March
ENSLAVEMNET OF FREEWOMEN (noun): all women on Gor are subject to the dominance and order of men. Free women may lose their status, if strict rules of dress and decorum are not followed. Lacivious dress or behavior usually results in a sentence of slavery.
EN`VAR (noun; lit. 'first resting'): the fourth month of the Gorean calendar, that of the summer solstice, roughly equivalent with the Earth calendar month of June
EQUATORIAL RAINFORESTS (noun): jungles on the equator near the city of Schendi. Many villages are in the jungles and most of their inhabitants do not speak Gorean, instead speaking a number of different inland dialects. Fishing is a major source of livelihood for many. Bila Huruma is a black Ubar who has united the six ubarates of the southern shore of Lake Ushindi. The Ukungu villages lay to the northeast on the coast. The central village is Nyundo. Talunas, pygmies and cannibals also inhabit the jungles. The rainforest is also the home of a myriad of wildlife.
EQUINOX, AUTUMNAL (noun): (lit. The Second Turning of the Central Fire ); the month of Autumnal Equinox is Se`Kara or The Second Kara; also called Se`Kara Lar-Torvis.
EQUINOX, VERNAL (noun): (lit. The First Turning of the Central Fire); the month of Vernal Equinox is En'Kara or the First Kara; also called En`Kara Lar-Torvis.
ERRAND CAPSULE (noun): unescorted slave girls may be questioned about their destination or it's purpose by any Free Person. A piece of scroll rolled and inserted into an errand capsule which she carries or is hooked to her collar contains information about her errand.
ESALINUS (noun) : One of the three cities, within 100 pasangs of the edge of the Woods of Clearchus and within a hundred pasangs of Besnit and Harfax.
ETA (noun): a letter of the Gorean alphabet; corresponds to the Earth letter 'E' (?); apparently adapted from the Greek alphabet; sometimes used as a name for slave girls
EXILE, RITUAL OF (noun): a man being exiled for whatever reason is publicly refused bread and salt, and is then ordered to leave the city by sundown under penalty of death. The exiled one may not come within ten pasangs of the city from that day forward.
EXOTIC (noun): a slave male or female bred for special purposes producing quaint or unusual purposes; an example is the passion slave.
EXPOSURE DEATH BY STAKING (noun): A death from exposure used in Klima for those attempting to escape. As the term implies, a person is staked to the salt crusts, spread-eagled, until the heat of the Tahari sun kills.
EYE (rank): in the Kuriian military organization the leader of a Hand consisting of six beasts is called an 'Eye'.
FACE-STRIP (verb): to remove the veil(s) worn by a free woman; to do so usually means that she is to be enslaved
FAIR OF EN`KARA (holiday): one of four great fairs held in the shadow of the Sardar range in the first month of the Gorean year.
FALARIAN (noun): an exquisite, rare, fabulously expensive wine, it's cost would purchase a city. It's existence is only rumored among collectors.
FALARINA (adv): a female who is no longer a virgin or 'glana' preceded by the state of 'profalarina' indicating a female who is about to be 'falarina' and before that by 'meta glana' one who looks forward to her deflowering.
FALLS OF BILA HARUMA (noun): 100 pasangs east of Lake Ngao, the Ua river is blocked by this waterfall.
FAN PALM (noun): found in the jungles of Schendi more than 20 feet high which spreads it's leaves in the form of an opened fan; an excellent source of water; as much as a liter at the base of each leaf's cupped stem.
FARNACIUM (noun) : an exchange island, free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste.
FEAST OF TOLA (noun): the Priest-King festival celebrating the anniversary of the Nuptial Flight of the Mother.
FEAST OF TOLEN (noun): the Priest-King festival celebrating the anniversary of the Deposition of the First Egg.
FEAST OF TOLAMA (noun): the Priest-King festival celebrating the anniversary of the Hatching of the First Egg.
FERMENTED MILK CURDS: A Tuchuk drink, made from fermented bosk milk curds.
FESTAL (noun): a type of shrubbery that grows in the Vosk delta and likely elsewhere.
FIELD SLAVE (noun): one who works outdoors, usually gardening, fetching wood or water, etc. She is commonly dressed in plain, sturdy slave tunics. Her hair is shorn.
FIGHTING HEARTS (noun): see All Comrades
FINA (noun): a town which is part of the Vosk League. It is located east of Ar’s Station.
FINCH, WHISTLING (noun): flighted bird found at the ground level of the rainforest it is insectivorous.
FIRE-MAKER (noun): a small device consisting of a small reservoir of tharlarion oil, a wick, a thumb activated, ratcheted steel wheel, and a splinter of flint; not unlike an old-fashioned cigarette lighter
FIRE-MAKER, CYLINDRICAL (noun): a small silverish tube used for igniting cooking fires. When the cap is removed, and the implement inside is exposed to the air, it glows a fiery red.
FIRST GIRL (noun): slave appointed by the Master to oversee other usually younger or less experienced girls; she rules when Free Persons are not present as the Master, but she is subject to his total authority.
FIRST KNOWLEDGE (noun): the education available to the lower castes, such as the Peasants; it is practical, if occasionally deliberately erroneous (i.e. it purports that Gor is a flat disk)
FIRST SPEAR (noun): the designated leader of a unit of spearmen.
FIRST SWORD (noun): the leader of the Guards in a given city such as Ar.
FISHERMAN (noun): name given to an arena combatant who fights with net and trident.
FISHER, USHINDI (noun): a tufted waterbird of the rainforests. It has long white feathers and long legs.
FLAHDAH (noun): a tree of the Tahari having lanceolate leaves; the trunk leans, like that of a palm tree
FLAME DEATH (noun): a form of capital punishment imposed by the Priest-Kings and triggered from the Sardar; in it, the victim seems to spontaneously erupt in blue flames
FLAME OPALS (noun): reddish and blue in color. Because they are much more rare on Gor they are of more value than those of Earth.
FLAMINIUM (noun): a largish scarlet flower having 5 petals
FLATS OF SARPETO (noun): Located at the junction of five roads, southeast of Brundisium and southwest of Ar. Torcadino is located on the Flats.
FLEER (noun): large, hook-billed bird which hunts at night
FLEER (noun): a tribe of Red Savages a member of the Blue Sky Society a warrior society of the Fleer which inhabits the Barrens; they have long hair combed back and flowing down the back like cornstalks; They ride their kaiila bareback and carry a long feathered lance and a small round war shield with medicine signs inscribed on it.
FLEER, LONG BILLED (noun): a bird inhabitant of the emergent level of the rainforest.
FLEER, PRAIRIE (noun): yellow bird with long wings and a sharp bill; sometimes called the 'maize bird' or 'corn bird' from the belief that it is usually the first bird to find food
FLIGHT ARROW (noun): about forty inches in length, it is metal piled and fletched with three half-feathers from the wings of the Vosk gulls. This and the sheaf arrow is used with the gorean long bow.
FLOWER TREES (noun): grown in Turia, they have lovely, dangling loops of interwoven blossoms which hang from the curved branches of the tree. The clusters of flowers which; cluster upon cluster, grace hanging stems, are a bouquet in itself, for the trees are so bred that the clustered flowers emerge in subtle, delicate patterns of shades and hues.
FLUTE GIRL (noun): a slave trained in the art of music, specifically the playing of the double flute. They perform at various functions and are available for sexual use by those free men of their audience.
FLUTE, DOUBLE (noun): a wind instrument.
FOOT (noun): slightly longer than the Earth foot based on supposition that each of its 10 horts is roughly 1 1/4 inches long (12 1/2 inches Earth measure); it's standard is a metal rod kept at the Sardar. Also called the Merchant's Foot.
FORA (noun): chain; pl. fori - chains
FORESTS OF NORTHERN GOR (noun): largest forest area on Gor; covers hundreds of thousands of square pasangs. They are north of Laura and no one knows how far east they go. They extend north to Torvaldsland, past the northern ridges of the Thentis Mountains. The forests are home to various outlaws, forest people and panther girls. The most typical tree is the lofty, reddish Tur tree that may grow to two hundred feet or more.
FOREST PANTHER (noun): is a tawny-colored, proud beast and is very common in the forests. They hunt largely at night but are not invariably nocturnal. They normally hunt when they are hungry or irritable.
FOREST PORT (noun): a part of the Vosk League. It is located on the northern bank and is east of Ar’s Station.
FORT HASKINS (noun): Boswell pass, bordered by the southern edge of the Thentis Mountains and the northern range of the Voltai, opens into The Barrens, the world of the Red Savage. Fort Haskins is situated at the foot of the pass. Once a trading post maintained by the Haskins Company and later a military outpost flying the flag of Thentis, it's military and strategic influence declined with the development of the Thentesian Tarn cavalries and the growth of the population. It is once again a trading center, maintained by the Caste of Merchants of Thentis.
FORTRESS OF SAPHRONICUS (noun): a small merchant polis and it has four tributary villages.
FOUNAIN, HIGHER BOWL(noun): the portion of the public fountains from which free persons drink. There is a lower level is available for the use of animals and slaves. Slaves caught drinking from the upper bowl face punishment by the magistrates of the city.
FOUR CHAINS (noun): This type of chaining is more complicated than most. The slave wears ankle and wrist rings to which two chains are attached. The ankles and wrists joined together by eighteen inches of chain each and then the left ankle joined to the left wrist, the right ankle to the right wrist. It is possible to move and serve within this chain arrangement.
FOUR-STRAP (noun): one of a series of straps used in the navigation of a Tarn, namely descent in preparation to land; it is also a command to land for Tarns trained in verbal cues.
FRAME OF HUMILATION (noun): wooden frame to which the condemned person is tied before it is set adrift in the Vosk River, so that he may die of exposure and/or dehydration, if he is not eaten by tharlarion or other carnivorous reptiles
FRANCISCA (noun): a heavy, single-bladed war axe used by the Alars.
FREE COMPANION (noun): spouse; consort
FREE COMPANION (noun): the Gorean equivalent of marriage; must be renewed annually
FREEDOM VEIL (noun): the second in the layer of veils worn by Free women also called the 'veil of the citizeness'.
FREE ISLANDS (noun): also known as exchange islands, they are administered as Free Ports by the Merchants. Included are Teletus, Tabor, and Scagnar. Others were Farnacium, Hulneth and Asperiche. In the south are Anango and Ianda, and in the far north, Hunger and Skjern, west of Torvaldsland. These islands, and free ports on the coast such as Lydius and Helmutsport, Schendi and Bazi make possible the commerce between Cos and Tyros and cities of the mainland.
FREE LABOR, CITIZENSHIP AND (concept): In the cities, the rights of citizenship are clearest and free labor has held its own. In rural areas which fall outside the sphere of influence of nearby cities, it is difficult to be a citizen of a city if one cannot reach it within a days march. Retention of citizenship may be contingent on such things as attending public ceremonies, such as an official semi-annual taking of auspices, and participating in numerous public assemblies, some of which are called on short notice. The inability of the rural inhabitants to effectively exercise citizenship leads to disenfranchisement, or most often a fierce independence, repudiating allegiance to anything save one's own village. The farmers, or peasants, are more likely to suffer from the results of cheap competition than their urban brethren.
FREE PORTA (noun): the 4 free ports maintained on the Thassa north and south of the gorean equator are Lydius, Helmutsport, Schendi and Bazi.
FREEWOMEN, ENSLAVEMENT OF (noun): all women on Gor are subject to the dominance and order of men. Free women may lose their status, if strict rules of dress and decorum are not followed. Lacivious dress or behavior usually results in a sentence of slavery.
FREVET (noun): small quick mammal, an insectivore that is kept in some homes for insect control.
FROBICAIN (noun): a sedative injection used during Voyages of Acquisition to render a captured barbarian unconscious.
FRUIT TINDEL (noun): a bird? which inhabits the rain forests of the Schendi area
FULVIANS (noun): foothills of the Voltai Mountains, northeast of Ar. The villa district of Ar is found here.
GAG, COMMON (noun): heavy, rolled-leather wadding thrust back behind the teeth, over the tongue of a slave, secured in place by a broad, mouth-covering strap, with three smaller straps attached to it.
GAME OF FAVORS (noun): a game played by Free Woman at the Carnival where each woman is given ten scarves and must run about asking for the men to accept her favor; the goal to be the first to get rid of the scarves and run back.
GANT, ARTIC noun): migratory bird that nests on cliffs in the Hrimgar Mountains, the southern border of the polar north. When frozen, their eggs are eaten like apples.
GANT, JUNGLE (noun): a bird, related to the marsh gant, which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
GANT, MARSH (noun): a long-legged marsh bird with a piping cry; similar to a curlew?
GARBAGE DEATH (noun): the death for a slave where a slave is bound naked, and thrown to canal urts, as in Port Kar.
GARDEN, WAILED (noun): term used for the place highborn Free women are raised in until a suitable suitor is found.
GATCH, ARMOURED (noun): a marsupial mammal which inhabits the rainforests inland of Schendi
GENS (noun): Gorean word for family or clan name.
GENESIAN ROAD (noun): a road south of Samnium, connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south. From Torcodino, you go north on this road to Brundisium.
GIANI (noun): a large mammal of solitary habits which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
GIERON (noun): a drug, an allergen, which causes a yellowing of the whites of the eyes; in combination with sajel, it reproduces the symptoms of the Bazi plague
GIM, HORNED (noun): a small owl like bird, c. 4 ozs. in weight, which inhabits the forests of northern Gor
GIM, LANG (long?) (noun): an insectivorous bird which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
GIM, YELLOW (noun): a bird, related to the horned gim, which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
GINT (noun): a tiny (6") freshwater fish which inhabits the rivers of the rain forests inland of Schendi; it has bulbous eyes and flipper-like fins; is amphibious, having both lungs and gills; is capable of walking on its pectoral fins; often found in the company of tharlarion, feeding off the scraps of their kills
GINT, GIANT (noun): a large cousin of the gint found in western Gor, similar in appearance, but with a 4-spined dorsal fin; is also amphibious and capable of walking on its pectoral fins
GIRL-CAPTURE CHAIN (noun): short chain used specifically to capture without serious damage; similar to the garrote in use but with chain in place of thin wire.
GIRL CATCH (noun): a contest to settle disputes where young women free and slave are captured by the opposing village within a boundaried area.
GIRL-YOKE (noun): a narrow piece of wood c. 5' long with holes drilled in the middle and at each end; to secure a girl in this yoke, a thong is tied around one wrist, the end of the thong then being passed through the hole in one end of the yoke; the thong is then passed through the middle hole of the yoke, wrapped around the girl's neck 5 times, then passed back out through the same hole, after which it is passed through the hole at the other end of the yoke, so that her other wrist may be tied to the yoke; shorter (2 1/2' long) versions are sometimes used while the girl is serving her master's pleasure; used mostly among the Red Savages of the Barrens
GIRTH CLOTH (noun): feed sacks, made of rough cloth are cut into strips, hemmed and sewn together to create a cloth ten feet long and one yard wide, This cloth is used to wrap newly hatched tharlarions as they emerge from the hot sand.
GITCH (noun): biting insect; description is vague, although it is used near mention of roaches.
GLADIUS (noun): short stabbing sword.
GLANA (noun): state of virginity.
GLASS OF THE BUILDERS (noun): telescope
GLAVE (noun): lighter, bladed, poles used by polemen on barges to cut through rushes and sedge in the marshes.
GOLDEN BEETLE (noun): an insect, roughly the size of a rhinoceros, which lives in the caverns below the Nest of the Priest-Kings in the Sardar Mountains; its prey is the Priest-Kings themselves
GOLDEN EATING PRONG (noun): an eating utensil used in Turia, it has a single tine.
GOLDEN SLASH (noun): a golden sash or scarf tied around the forehead of an assassin, this is the symbol that he is a messenger only, and not to be detained in any way.
GOLDEN SPHERE (noun): sought by Saphar for it's value and thought to be a golden Priest King egg, it was later found to be a worthless tharlarion egg painted gold by Tuchuks.
GOLDEN TARN DISK (noun): the gold tarn disk of Ar is considered to be the standard by which other cities, such as Ko-Ro-Ba and Port Kar. set the value of their own coinage. It is worth, generally, 10 silver tarsks, but standardization is slight due to the shaving or splitting of the coin as well as faulty scales that contribute to the debasing of the coinage.
GOR (noun): Home Stone
GOREAN ALPHABET (noun): composed of 28 characters derived from the various alphabets of Earth, such as Greek, Roman, oriental or Cretan influences, among others.
GOREAN BLINDFOLD (noun): consists of two rounded pieces of soft felt, three to four inches in diameter, and the binding which is several turns of a dark thick, folded cloth, tied behind the head. The rounded pieces fit over the eyes, held in place by the scarf or tie. It is not normally used in transportation, the slave hood being preferred in those instances.
GOREAN CASTE (noun): rigid social structure which is conferred by birth on Goreans except for slaves, outlaws, and Initiates. There are 5 high castes (Initiates, Scribes, Builders, Physicians, Warriors), privileged by their status to be privy to Double Knowledge, unlike the many lower castes (tradesmen, craftsmen, artisans, artists, etc.) who may know only First Knowledge. Governments are elected and administered by High Caste members only. The Caste is a source of life long pride and brotherhood. The welfare of the Caste takes precedent over individual members. It is possible to change caste, but it is rarely done. To lose Caste is the ultimate in dishonor.
GOREAN FOOT (noun): slightly longer than the Earth foot based on supposition that each of its 10 horts is roughly 1 1/4 inches long (12 1/2 inches Earth measure); it's standard is a metal rod kept at the Sardar. Also called the Merchant's Foot.
GOREAN LOVE BOW POSITION (command): This position is very painful to maintain for longer than 5 minutes. She kneels in nadu position and bends her body backwards, her head to the floor, she places her hands by her head, and pulls up into a back bend. (not found in books like this, but done with bindings.)
GOREAN CAMPAIGN TENT (noun): in large fixed camps, the tents of Tarnsmen are circular with a conical roof and have an entrance canopy. A pennon bearing the insignia of the particular unit is affixed to it's top. These tents follow the tarnsmen in their flights, borne on supply wagons of the main body.
GOREAN MOONS (noun): three moons shine on the planet, Gor, one large and two small ones, described as full, beautiful, and 'hurtling through' the clouds. They are said to have a biological effect on females, who are sometimes chained beneath them. It is suggested that the waxing and waning of the cycles of the moon correlate with the sexual cycles of the female.
GOREAN SPEAR (weapon):- about seven feet in height, heavy, stout, with a tapering bronze head some eighteen inches in length. It is a terrible weapon and, abetted by the somewhat lighter gravity of Gor, when cast with considerable force, can pierce a shield at close quarters or bury its head a foot deep in solid wood.
GOR, PLANET OF (noun): as Tarl was taught by his father, 'Gor is the name of this world'. In all the languages of the planet, it means 'Home Stone'. The planet is also called the Counter-Earth from the writings of the Pythagoreans who first speculated on it's existence. According to the Initiates, Gor was originally a satellite of a distant sun in the Blue Galaxies. It was moved several times from star to star by the Priest-Kings, by one theory, but, according to the 'Theory of the Sun Shield', it has remained in the same place, undiscovered because it is placed as a counterpoise to the Earth. It has the same plane or orbit and maintains that position, with occasional adjustments by the Priest-Kings, to always keep 'The Central Fire' between it and it's planetary sister, Earth.
GORT, HOCK-BILLED (noun): this is a carnivorous hunting bird of the rainforests. It preys on ground urts.
GRASSHOPER RED (noun): beyond color, this insect is described as weighing around 4 ounces.
GREAT AXE (Torvaldsland) (noun): described as a great, curved, single bladed axe of hardened iron with a blunt hammer-like head, it is carried in a leather loop hung from a broad leather belt worn from the left shoulder to the right hip. It is fastened there by a hook, that the weight of the ax will not turn the belt, which fits into a ring in the master belt.
GREASE BUCKET (noun): a narrow, cylindrical, capped bucket full of tar and tallow that hangs under wagons, the handle of a brush protruding through a hole in the cap. This accessory is commonly used to grease moving parts on the wagons.
GREASED WINESKIN (noun): item used in a carnival-type game that entails a Free Man balancing, for an allotted time, usually an ehn, on a filled wineskin that has the surface greased. Many times the prize is the full wineskin.
GRAB BORER (noun): an insectivorous bird which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
GRUNT (noun): a large, carnivorous, saltwater fish which inhabits Thassa; is often attracted by the blood of a wounded creature; similar to the shark of Earth
GRUNT, BLUE (noun): a small, voracious, carnivorous freshwater fish, related to the Thassa grunt; like its larger cousin, it is attracted by blood
GRUNT, GREAT SPECKLED (noun): a fish inhabiting the Thassa and caught as food for sailors.
GRUNT, WHITE-BELLIED (noun): a large game fish which haunts the plankton beds in the Polar North to feed on parsit fish. It's eggs are considered a rare delicacy.
GUERNON MONKEY (noun): found in the jungle along the Ua river; recognized by their chattering sound.
GUIL, COATING (noun): found in Torvaldsland is this broad winged bird with black tips on its wings and tail feathers, similar to the Vosk gull. It's feathers are used on the war arrows of Torvladsland.
GULL, SCHENDI (noun): inhabiting the area around Schendi on the Thassa, they nest on land at night.
GULL, VOSK (noun): a gull of the Vosk Delta and Vosk River, it apparently has a loud or insistent cry, which is imitated by the rence people as a means of surreptitious communication at night. It's feathers are used on sheaf arrows. It winters on the prairies of the Wagon Peoples and flies north in the spring, when the ice breaks up.
GUNNI (noun): these are normally training devices though may be used in some gladitorial contests. They are curved weights of lead, several pounds heavy, with handles. They are cushioned with cloth. They are capable of breaking through walls or bending iron. They are like boxing gloves filled with lead.
GUR (noun): a thin, white honey-like liquid secreted in the Nest by a large, grey domesticated arthropod which feeds on Sim plants; when fermented in the social stomachs of somnolent Priest-Kings, it is ritually fed to the Mother of the Nest on the Feast of Tola
GUR CARRIERS (noun): mutated Muls who can climb walls and who gather the fermented Gur for the Feast of Tola
GYVES (noun): Gorean word for ankle chains, not sure whether it is used for all ankle chains or just for close chains.
